The threat of a nuclear war between Pakistan and India is not yet over and will continue to loom unless both countries address the core issue of Kashmir, cautioned an editorial in The New York Times.
“The relative calm is not a solution. As long as India and Pakistan refuse to deal with their core dispute – the future of Kashmir – they face unpredictable, possibly terrifying, consequences. The most likely trigger for a nuclear exchange could be the conflict between India and Pakistan,” the editorial published in the US daily on Thursday warned. “A solution to a conflict that touches so many religious and nationalist nerves must ultimately come from within, through talks among India, Pakistan and the people of [occupied] Kashmir. It’s a long shot, and the protagonists have shown no serious interest, but that’s the reality nonetheless,” it read. “Without international pressure, a long-term solution is unlikely, and the threat of nuclear war remains,” it maintained.
Regarding the role of US vis-à-vis Pakistan-India escalation, the daily wrote, “While the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations aggressively worked to ensure that India-Pakistan confrontations in 1999, 2002 and 2008 did not spiral out of control, the Trump administration has done little but issue a few statements urging restraint.” “It’s hard to see a role as a mediator for Trump, who has shifted the United States more firmly against Pakistan and toward India, where he has pursued business interests.”
“But the United States needs to get involved. It could help India strengthen its counterterrorism capabilities to prevent future attacks, and it could encourage India to modify its approach to those opposing its rule in Kashmir, which the United Nations and other groups say involves widespread human rights abuses that simply spawn more militants,” the editorial suggested. “And while it’s good when India and Pakistan decide to walk back from the brink, as they seem to be doing now, the United States should be ready to assist if they cannot,” it added.
The newspaper said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is waging a tough re-election campaign in which he has used anti-Pakistan talk to fuel Hindu nationalism. “The two countries have crossed into dangerous territory, with India attacking Pakistan and engaging in aerial duels. The next confrontation, or the one after that, could be far more unthinkable,” it concluded.
Published in Daily Times, March 9th 2019.
